Chapter 29

"I'll handle my own work. Don't help me anymore."

Tae-un spoke a little more firmly this time. But it was useless against the other person.

"I always thought that way too, but it doesn't work out the way I want."

"..."

"Especially if it's someone who doesn't listen at all, it gets repeated over and over."

Soram tapped the phone screen while lying down. He could feel that Tae-un, who would normally have done his own work, was paying attention to this side. It was because he had heard the information being passed from the director to the team leader.

"Ah, right."

That's why he reacted immediately even to this small muttering.

"I have something to ask you."

"What is it."

"Are midterm exams really important? The exams Ayoung is taking this time."

"The grades for the first semester of the third year usually have the highest weight."

"I see. Ayoung seems more anxious than before."

The question seemed to be just that, as he nodded his head and turned his gaze back to his cell phone.

After a while, Soram got up from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"Who knows?"

"..."

Tae-un also stood up and blocked Soram's way. His gaze was one of vigilance, in case Soram was trying to go on a dispatch in his place again.

"I told you to stop."

"What do you mean?"

"The constant helping you're doing."

"Hmm..."

Soram laughed like a stubborn child.

"Well, it's not like I can't leave without going through a door."

It was the moment he turned around and reached out his hand towards the window. Soram's body was suddenly pulled back forcefully. And the back of his head and back bumped into something.

Huh? When he raised his head, he saw Tae-un's face. So Soram's body had been quickly pulled close to Tae-un.

As Soram twisted his body to try to escape, Tae-un tightly wrapped his waist, preventing him from moving.

"I told you not to, didn't I."

The choppy words revealed the annoyance slowly rising. This time, Tae-un hugged Soram even tighter with his arms, as if he wouldn't let him go. But even without that, Soram couldn't run away.

Like a bug stuck on a sticky rod, his whole body clung to Tae-un and wouldn't move.

"No, wait, is this Han Tae-un ssi's ability?"

"I'll go to the dispatch. Stop taking it away from me."

Soram's flushed cheek was next to Tae-un's chest. His heart was pounding loudly, thudding against the cheek. ... Did I really annoy him to the point of making him this angry? The pounding of his heart was so strong that it felt like a reflection. Soram first tried to calm Tae-un down.

"Right now, with the dispatch and everything, our posture is really strange. People might misunderstand if they see us."

"This is the last office, and no one comes here, plus there's time left until Ayoung leaves school."

"Still..."

"I won't let you go."

"... Okay. But this time, the dispatch really came to me."

"Wait until the pager rings then leave. I can't trust you."

"Then am I supposed to stay like this until then?"

Tae-un looked at Soram, who was standing awkwardly stuck to him.

"If it's uncomfortable, I'll sit down."

"Huh?"

Tae-un guided Soram to the chair, wedging him against his side. As he sat down, Soram naturally ended up sitting on his lap.

"Ugh, no! No! I really don't like this!"

Soram struggled, as the posture between the two men was disgusting and creepy. But his upper body was bound to Tae-un as if by some ability, and only his legs below the knees were able to squirm.

"Release me! What is this! You traitor, repaying kindness with enmity!"

"Do you think I'm enjoying and happy in this posture? Why do you keep playing those kinds of tricks?"

"Don't talk right next to my ear!"

"Jin Soram ssi is the one shouting right next to my ear."

Soram's voice grew louder, and Tae-un's volume and tone also became more intense than usual. Around the fidgeting Soram, small white specks of what seemed to be traces of Tae-un's ability floated.

For Tae-un, holding Soram down was the surest way to verify his lie. But of course, this was not a posture that two burly men should be in. Although Soram looked a little smaller when standing next to Tae-un, he was also a tall and muscular man over 180cm. It was an embarrassing sight reflected in the window.

Soram, who had been struggling for a long time, eventually gave up on his own. And he glared sharply at the chest that had firmly pinned him down. ... Ah, but really. It's really big. This was an honest observation that he couldn't help. Wounded pride aside, just looking at the way Soram fit comfortably in Tae-un's embrace showed that Tae-un was immensely large. Truly.

The heartbeat transmitted through the arm touching his chest was also quite strong. Well, to pump blood throughout this big body, the pumping would have to be powerful.

"Release your ability for a moment. I'll show you proof."

Even if not, I'm already being held captive anyway, right? Soram gestured at Tae-un's arm. Tae-un released the ability with a wary gaze. But even then, the arm around his waist kept Soram from moving much. His strength was really...

With only his two arms freed, Soram tapped on his phone and showed it to him.

Seocho-gu Saimdang-ro 174 ― 15:25 (Dispatch Expected) ― Chief Hunter Jin Soram (1st Grade)

As Tae-un leaned his head to look at the screen, the distance between their faces became closer. It felt like his body temperature had suddenly risen.

"... See? Right? Let me go quickly."

"..."

The arm holding his waist finally loosened. As soon as he was released, Soram had expected to flee in a huff, but after a sigh, he just got up calmly.

"Don't worry. Regrettably,  this is as far as it goes. If I stray from the route any further, the Reconnaissance Bureau will properly complain. I've already received some curses."

Soram gathered his outerwear.

"Having experienced this, I've realized it's not satisfying and only adds to the frustration."

"What are you referring to?"

He didn't look at Tae-un for a moment, then turned to him.

"Helping others isn't fun. So Han Tae-un ssi, you shouldn't do this kind of boring thing either."

Soram opened the door and left, waving his hand.

Left alone, Tae-un was later able to return after destroying the rift alone without any notes. The prank ended in a few hours, and Soram returned from the daily snail to the sloth in the office.

And the season had also advanced one step further.

3. Out of Line

"Were you always this type?"

A question was thrown at Soram, who was lying down taking up the entire long bench. It was Kim Ga-eul, a 1st-grade awakener who had awakened on the same day as him. Until last week, she had been coming to the Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters in her school uniform, but from this week, after dropping out, she had started wearing an awkward suit. Soram, who was the same, opened his drowsy eyes.

"What?"

"No, it's just that it's completely different from the image of you running around during the 2nd Great Rift."

"Is that so..."

Well, what Ga-eul had seen was the pure high school student Jin Soram before he had regressed three times.

The Ga-eul awkwardly addressing him now was also the fourth encounter for Soram. Moreover, in Soram's memories from the previous life, she was one of the people who had met a tragically unhappy end. Soram overlapped Ga-eul's face with the image of her 8 years from now, and the one who had met her death. A part of his chest ached and felt cold.

In the second and third lives, he had been intoxicated with the feeling of being a chosen hero who had regressed, and had rushed only to clear the Great Rifts. He had freely used his fellow hunter colleagues, including Ga-eul. But in the new life he had started, what remained in his memory in the end were not the many people he had protected, but those who had died beside him.

Kim Ga-eul, Seo Min-ki, Lee Ayoung, Park Jae-seon, and Han Tae-un.

Soram answered Ga-eul, who had her hand on her waist, with a languid face.

"I worked too hard back then, so I'm tired now. I just want to sleep without any thoughts."

"Ugh, that's why the adults keep piling interviews and stuff on me. Is it okay if I represent you, me and Min-ki?"

Ga-eul's face, pretending to be annoyed, had a subtle sense of pride. Soram suppressed a smile inwardly. So you actually liked this kind of thing... In the previous lives, it had all been the role Soram had taken on.

"Okay. You do it. I think you'll do well. I'll support you from behind."

"Hmm, well, I don't know if I'll do well, but since you two aren't doing it, I have no choice."

"Fighting."

Soram pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. Ga-eul kept looking at Soram, but there was none of the heavy emotion that had lingered in her gaze in the previous life.

He knew that to change the predetermined future, he had to move actively and bring about change. But still, he was too exhausted to do anything right now.

"Hey, are you going to sleep?"

"Yeah..."

"You have training in 30 minutes!"

"Okay..."

"I'll come wake you up in 25 minutes!"

"29 minutes..."

"Aish, what kind of boys are you two, the only ones who need to be taken care of."

Ga-eul grumbled and strode away. The light above the training waiting room, where Soram was, went out. Under the blanket, the corners of Soram's mouth moved slightly, resembling a smile.

* * *

In April, when spring had fully matured, events such as the regular press conference and ability measurement had passed, and Tae-un, whose number of workdays settled in the mid-double digits, had fully adapted to the team.

This was the first evidence of that.

Knock, knock.

"Han Tae-un ssi, I'm here..."

"Yes."

Tae-un opened the door impassively at the sound of the knock coming from the next room. The time was exactly 8:50 a.m.